(CIVIL WAR NAVY) A Sketch of the History of the Famous C

Sale 2615 - Lot 96

Unsold

Estimate: $ 400 - $ 600

(CIVIL WAR--NAVY.) A Sketch of the History . . . of the Famous Confederate Ram Merrimac . . . Canes Manufactured from the Live Oak Timber. 4 printed pages, 11 x 8 1/2 inches, on 2 detached sheets; folds, worn, dampstained, small cello tape stain, but complete with all text. Norfolk, VA, circa April 1876

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A promotional brochure for "Canes Manufactured from the Live Oak Timber of this Celebrated Iron Clad Ram." This was a partnership of merchant and timber agents W.P. Tilley & Co. and the diver Captain William West, both of Norfolk. They secured a trademark for their canes on 11 April 1876 and swore to the authenticity of the canes on 17 April, obtaining three local character references on the same day. The interior pages offer the history of the legendary naval vessel, which began as the USS Merrimack, was salvaged and transformed into an ironclad as the CSS Virginia, and then was destroyed in the James River to avoid capture in May 1862. As described here, "Captain West, the diver, took hold of remains of the wreck, and during the present year has managed to bring up several of this vessel's original oak timbers, which has been manufactured into walking canes." Tilley's canes are, unfortunately, not described or illustrated. This was not the first or only effort to salvage timber from the wreck; another Merrimac cane had been presented to Jefferson Davis in 1867. See Robert A. Jones, "Aftermath of an Ironclad," Civil War Times, October 1972. One copy in OCLC, at the Library of Virginia, and none traced at auction.